BRADENTON, Fla. - In his first start since joining the T-Yanks, Tim Lynch homered and drove in all three runs to help Tampa (36-31) complete a four-game sweep of the Bradenton Marauders (36-28) with a 3-1 victory on Thursday night at LECOM Park.Lynch made his debut in Wednesday's doubleheader, lining
BRADENTON, Fla. - In his first start since joining the T-Yanks, Tim Lynch homered and drove in all three runs to help Tampa (36-31) complete a four-game sweep of the Bradenton Marauders (36-28) with a 3-1 victory on Thursday night at LECOM Park.
Lynch made his debut in Wednesday's doubleheader, lining a double in his lone at-bat of the second game. The 24-year-old is now 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, 3RBI and two runs scored in two games since arriving from Extended Spring Training.
Will Craig blasted a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the first to give the Marauders their first lead of the series. Tampa pitching would shut Bradenton out the rest of the way.
Ian Clarkin worked out of several jams, stranding runners on the corners in the second and leaving the bases loaded in the fourth. The southpaw allowed one earned run on four hits in four innings, walking four while striking out five and throwing 36 of 68 pitches for strikes in his fifth game since returning from the disabled list.
Tampa tied the score with a pair of two-out hits in the second. Gosuke Katoh served a single into left field and scored from first when Lynch roped a double into the right field corner.
RHP Travis Hissong relieved Clarkin in the fifth and worked around a hit and a walk, stranding runners at second and third.
Dario Agrazal held the Yankees in check for the rest of his outing, logging a quality start. The right-hander allowed one earned run on four hits in six innings, walking one while striking out six and throwing 72 of 94 pitches for strikes.
Katoh drew a five-pitch walk against reliever Jess Amedee (L, 3-3) to open the top of the seventh. Lynch followed with a towering two-run blast over the right field wall, giving Tampa a 3-1 lead.
RHP Joe Harvey (W, 1-0) tallied three strikeouts and one walk while facing the minimum in two scoreless frames. RHP Andrew Schwaab tacked on a strikeout in a perfect eighth and RHP Anyelo Gómez (SV, 1) retired the side in the ninth.
Following Florida State League All-Star Break this weekend, the T-Yanks return home to wrap up the first-half schedule with a three-game series versus the Florida Fire Frogs. Tampa is currently tied with Clearwater atop the North Division standings, with the Threshers owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
RHP Taylor Widener (3-6, 4.19 ERA) is scheduled to start for Tampa in the series-opener on Monday at 7:00 p.m. at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Florida's starter is TBA.
